Hyundai W241D 24" widescreen monitor

Subjective Image Quality Analysis

The most important thing to grasp is that in subjective terms the W241D is extremely similar to other premium PVA-based 24-inchers. It's ludicrously vibrant and sports rich, saturated colours that are a match for the 245T and indeed the likes of Dell's 2407WFP-HC.

Whites are bright, crisp and even, the backlight is searingly bright and yet for the most part black tones remain impressively deep and inky. Subjective viewing angles are another strong point with little evidence of the dark tone colour inversion that can be a real nuisance when watching video in full screen mode.

As with other PVA-based monitors, the highly saturated colours are admittedly not the last word in colour accuracy - you'll need an IPS panel for that. But this really is an extremely dynamic and punchy display that delivers eye popping visuals in both games and HD video content. It's also streets ahead of the relatively dingy and sludgy image quality of much cheaper alternatives based on TN+Film technology.


However, it is not perfect. Firstly, there's just a touch of backlight bleed in the corners of the display. It's not a major distraction, but it is the sort of thing that will irritate panel pedants. Potentially more concerning is the so-called issue of “inverse ghosting”. It's yet another problem that's thought to be a result of overdrive technology and has been causing concern on a number of PVA monitors of late.

In simple terms, it involves a dark trail that can appear in the wake of moving objects in some situations, dependent on the colours being rendered. Again the problem is very slight and very likely only noticeable to those actively looking for it. But it is present and something to be aware of. Inverse ghosting aside, the W241D's pixel response is beyond reasonable reproach. It's extremely snappy for a large display.

Conclusions

If you are in the market for an all-purpose 24-inch monitor with a high end PVA panel, the good news is that the Hyundai W241D is cheaper but broadly as good as the competition. After all, it shares the same panel technology. Similarly, several of its minor glitches, such as slightly oversaturated colours and a touch of inverse ghosting, are very likely present on its key competitors.

In that sense, the choice is fairly simple in the 24-inch segment at the moment. Those with tight budgets will put up with the relatively poor viewing angles, mediocre contrast and dull colours that TN+Film units consistently suffer from. People who can stretch a bit further can enjoy a more vibrant but not necessarily more accurate PVA model. If you fall into the latter camp, the W241D should be on your shortlist.

Admittedly, it's a shame that there's nothing based on the latest IPS panel technology and offering a little more accuracy available in 24-inches currently. But unless you're a graphics or media professional who demands seriously tight colour control, odds are you be very happy with the W241D or one of its PVA-powered brethren.

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What do these scores mean?